Match holding stand ash tray and bundle of matches therefor



Dec. 30, 1941. w. E. WILLIAMS MATCH HOLDING STAND ASH TRAY AND BUNDLE OF MATCHES THEREFOR Filed Dec. 5, 1938 Patented Dec. 30, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MATCH HOLDING STAND ASH TRAY AND BUNDLE OF MATCHES THEREFOR 3 Claims My invention relates to a peculiar association of an ash tray, a match holding stand and a peculiar bundle of matches adapted to be held thereby.

In the present instance the bundle of matches is necessarily provided in form to be held by the match stand and tray, and the object of the invention is to provide this special bundle of matches and a holder therefor to hold this particular type of bundle of matches. The matches to be used chiefly with this holder and ash tray are what are known as advertising matches, and the purpose is to hold these matches in convenient form whereby the advertising which is printed on the sticks, may easily be read, and the sticks easily removed and ignited by a specially prepared striking surface on the bundle of the matches.

Another object of my invention is to hold the matches in form to prevent accidental burning of the entire bundle held in the holder.

A further object of the invention is to provide a special bundle or spool of matches as a separate self-contained unit with the igniting or striking surface directly on the bundle or spool itself.

A further object is to provide a match bundle or spool with a cylindrical aperture entirely through the body thereof in association with a holding means being composed of a cylindrical block located within the said aperture of the said bundle.

A further object is to provide a compact cheaply constructed serviceable holder for the matches adjoined to a portion of the holder and adapted to be used as an ash tray.

Reference will be had to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of the assembly of the stand, the matches and the ash tray, a portion of the cover being removed.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation partly in section of the ash tray, stand and assembled matches.

Fig. 3 is an elevational detail showing the method and form of a part of the match bundle.

Fig. 4 shows a modified form of fastening the ash tray with the piece that forms the seat for the spool of matches.

In the drawing T indicates the base or ash tray body which may be of any suitable form. In the central body of the base T there is a raised seat 0. This is shown as a separate piece in this drawing but may be an integral body piece of the ash tray. To the underside of the seat there is secured a threaded nut N. This nut is fixed to the seat 0 in any suitable manner and is here shown as soldered or welded to the seat. In the present instance a screw A passes up thru the ash tray base body and is screwed into the lower portion of the nut N and thereby fastens the seat 0 a a unitary piece with the ash tray base T. In place of the nut N and screw A for fastening the seat 0 and tray T together, in Figure 4 this fastening is made by the block Y which has its lower end Z swaged over riveting the parts together.

The match bundle is indicated as a body by S and the individual matches by M and the heads of the matches by H. These sticks are cut asunder as indicated by Fig. 3 and secured by a continuous base piece B. Since the sticks are to be broken loose individually the bases are transversely cut as indicated by U. The matches are formed as a long strip of the pattern indicated by Fig. 3 and then this strip is coiled upon itself upon a core leaving a cylinder core opening P in the center. In the coiling operation the connecting body portion B is glued upon itself into a unitary structure when desired. On the completion of the coil there is wound around on the outside of the portion B a binding strip E adhesively connected to the coil as desired. On this strip E there is provided the igniting surface I which may be for strike anywhere matches or for a special composition required for use in igniting what are called safety matches.

A binding strip E, is not necessarily required when the match strip coils are glued or cemented together between the coils at their bases when then the igniting material may be applied directly to the bottom of the bundle or as a stripe around the outside bottom side edge of the bundle.

In removing the match sticks from the bundle or spool it is desirable that this may be done with one hand and avoid using both hands, one to hold the stand or spool in place while with the other hand to take of a match.

With certain types of sticks particularly those made of pasteboard it requires quite a pull to pull them loose by a direct pull from the bundle. The extra width of these matches used for printing on the sides of the sticks contributes to extra strain as against narrower widths of the sticks. In order to make it a one hand operation of taking off single sticks from my bundles or spools I cut notches U in the side edges of the sticks toward the center of the sticks which makes it easy to remove the sticks thus: The cover C is tipped up on one edge by the finger and a head of a match is bent or pulled out from the cover bending over the stick and then a twist of the stick removes it by breaking loose the narrow center portion of the stick between the ends of the cuts U. This is accomplished without moving the body of the stand or spool or bundle or requiring any attention of the other hand.

A weakening of the body of the stick at its base may be accomplished either by a score indented line clear across the sticks or by cutting apertures in the central body thereof leaving connected edges, but these features are not as good or serviceable as by my side cuts of the sticks for the following reasons: It is desirable and almost necessary in bundles or spools of matches of my type to have the sticks as strong at the base where they are connected together in the strip to resist bending out of line in the manufacture of the strips as relates to assembling the strips for dipping and fabricating the strips into spools. The law of the relative strength of beams against bending moment is this: Their strength is inversely as the length, directly as to the width and directly as the square of the depth. Thu my narrow full depth of the thickness of the sticks has the square of the depth feature of strength against the continuous score of weakness. As relates to the central aperture of weakness while thi may have the square of the depth feature the twisting moment of the connected edges is greater with these connected edges than with my narrow width central portion of the stick. My edge cuts actually start the rupture when a twisting movement is made of the stick, which is a desideratum.

The bundle of matche thus formed is provided 4 with the central cylindrical open core P, a feature normally required in rolling a strip of matches into a bundle. However this core has an added value because when the match strip is wound upon itself the heads H of the matches produce a bundle diameter on. the head end of the bundle which diameter is larger than the coiled base portion B. By having the central opening P it gives a more uniform diameter and a better appearance to the bundle thanv if the central aperture P were absent.

To properly hold the bundle of matches S on the seat I provide a central rod R, the lower end of which is threaded and screwed into the nut N. On this rod R there is mounted a central block W fixed to the rod R by frictional or other means. Mounted on the rod R in vertical sliding arrangement there is a cover cap C covering over the heads of the matches H. Thi cover cap C may be lifted up to get access to the heads of the matches for removing the matches from the bundle, and when the cover C is not held up it drops by gravity down onto and over the heads of the matches, and thus acts as a smudge to put out or suppress the burning of the heads of the matches which might happen by accidental or intentional ignition. This plate C is made of relatively thin metal and slides freely up and down on the rod R and may be tilted up on one side to uncover match heads on one side only owing to the clearance hole in the plate for the rod R. Thus permitting matches to be removed from the bundle or spool by one hand.

An ill disposed person who might seek to ignite the whole bundle of matches would be compelled to hold the cover up during the burning of the heads of the matches, which would not be a pleasant occupation. The moment the cover would be released it would automatically drop by gravity and thus smudge out the combustion of the matches.

The top L of the rod R is curved into a double loop leaving a central opening D sumciently large that it will pass over an ordinary hook which may be fastened to the side of the wall or other place whereby the whole unit may be supported by suspension. Not only that this curved top L furnishes a convenient hand. hold grip, a convenience in moving the unit in any situation. This portion L of the rod R together with the block W maintain the cover C always in sliding position on the rod R. The double loop L of the rod R is not wound tightly upon itself but leaves a slight opening F between the loops and this opening F is available in which to hold place cards, menu cards or price tags as desired. At the top of the rod R it necessary to have an enlargement of some sort for a hand hold with which to turn the rod R in fastening it to the tray body. The double curled top supplies that means together with the card holding feature and is a desideratum outside of furnishing means for hanging the holder by this loop.

In replacing a bundle or spool of matches the rod R is screwed loose from the nut N and thereby the remainder of the bundle, being the base piece B, is then removed and a new bundle or spool of matches is threaded over the block W and rod R and then the said rod R is screwed into the nut N, thus completing the assembly of the spool or bundle of matches. Meantime the cover 0, the rod. R and the block W remain assembled as relates to each other all the time.

It is customary to remove the contents of ash trays often before the entire bundle of matches have been used. In this work the whole unit is picked up by grasping the rod R just above the cover C which then holds the spool or bundle of matches in place while the ash tray contents is being dumped.

The matches normally used on this article are wider and at the same time thinner than the regular wood stick matches and because of this extra width there is permitted to be printed on each stick complete sentences of interesting subjects for advertising slogans, and for this purpose it is highly desirable that the main body portions of the sticks be open and. free for observation while held in the stand. However ordinary sized matches may be used and formed into these same bundles or spools.

What I claim is:

1. In an article of the class described, an ash tray base, a seat adjacent said tray of sumcient width to support a bundle of matches, a central stem extending up from said seat and through said bundle of matches located on said seat and adapted to hold the said bundle in place on said seat and said stem threaded on the lower end and screwed into the body of said ash tray base and the top of said stem formed in. a loop adapted to be held and. supported by suspension on a hook as desired, and a cover slidable on the stem and having a flange loosely fitting around the bundle of matches.

2. In. an article of the class described, an ash tray base, a seat adjacent said tray of sufiicient width to support a bundle of matches, a central stem extending up from said seat and through said bundle of matches located on said seat and adapted to hold. thesaid bundle in place on said seat and the lower end of said stem being secured to the body of said ashtray and. the top of said stem being formed in a loop adapted to be held and supported by suspension as may be desired, and a cover slidable on the stem and having a flange loosely fitting around the outside of the bundle of matches.

3. In an article of the class described, an ash tray base, having a seat portion on the center of said base of suificient width to support a bundle of matches, a stem extending up from said seat and through the bundle of matches located on said seat, a core piece on said stem and inside of said bundle of matches to hold said bundle centrally on said seat and the lower end of said stem being secured to the body of said ash tray and the top end of said stem being formed with an enlargement, and a cover slidable on said stem and having a flange loosely fitting around the outside of the bundle of matches.

WILLIAM ERASTUS WILLIAMS. 

